A Message from Dean Thomason: Update on Living Stones II Capital Campaign

Dear friends,

Following the wonderfully successful parish phase of the Living Stones II capital campaign in 2025, we have been in the Continuation Phase these last twelve months, reaching out to churches across the Diocese and to the broader community, seeking additional gifts and pledges from others for whom Saint Mark’s Cathedral holds a special place. True to our mission to serve as a “sacred gathering place for the Diocese of Olympia and the broader community in times of crisis, sorrow, and celebration,” there are many who recognize the importance of the project to preserve and update this cathedral, and many have joined the effort.

As of August 1, we have received 578 pledges and gifts to the Living Stones II campaign! This number includes a $1 million gift from the Norcliffe Foundation, whose mission is “to improve the quality of life for all people in our community” by focusing on projects involving human services, health care, civic, educational and the arts. I met with their board in May, and they resonated with Saint Mark’s mission and how this building serves so many in our community. We are delighted to share this good news with you.

The total pledged is currently $9,909,102, and more than $6 million of that pledge total has been fulfilled, making it possible for the main construction project to unfold in mid-2027. Thank you to all who have contributed to this effort. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of this community!

Because of your generosity, the Design Committee has been hard at work planning for project, and they will share an important parish update at Cathedral Commons on Wednesday September 23, at 6:45 p.m. in Bloedel Hall and on Zoom. I hope you will mark your calendars now to join that important gathering.

Our initial estimate for the project funded by Living Stones II was approximately $8.5-9 million, and our campaign feasibility study led us to establish our initial campaign goal of $8.5 million. We learned this spring that rising costs and a few unanticipated challenges to a century-old building now project the all-in cost to be about $10.5 million, which means we are not finished with the fundraising yet. As Cathedral Dean, I continue to visit other churches in the Diocese to preach and teach, share about the cathedral, and to solicit gifts from parishes and individuals. And there are folks in the cathedral parish who have not yet made a gift or pledge to the campaign. We hope you will!

Everyone who gives will be recognized on a donor wall, as we did for Living Stones I a decade ago. I hope all who claim this as a spiritual home will join in the effort to ensure the cathedral will serve generations to come. Together we will make our way, and I am so delighted to be part of this community at this important time in the history of Saint Mark’s Cathedral.

For more information on the Living Stones II campaign, or to make your pledge or gift, please visit the campaign webpage, or contact Dean Thomason or Erik Donner in the church office.

Gratefully yours,

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector

A Message from Saint Mark’s Cathedral Living Stones II Design Committee

Dear Members and Friends of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Parish:

Our committee has been hard at work since our last update. As we work to meet the Cathedral’s commitment of achieving net zero carbon emissions on campus by 2030, the Cathedral House HVAC Retrofit is well underway. The outdated HVAC system is being removed, protections for the floor and window shades in Bloedel Hall are in place, and dust protection measures are in place. Portions of the lower ceiling are being demolished and temporary lighting installed to make way for new pipe work. Events scheduled in Bloedel are proceeding as planned as our contractors are working off hours and cleaning up daily to make that possible. Next up will be our Staff offices, and every effort will be made to reduce impact during office hours.

For the next Phase – Jake McKinstry and Eric Cho with Spectrum Development Solutions, the Owner’s Representative, and the Committee sent out a Request for Proposals for a general contractor to which three general contractors submitted proposals. After review of all three proposals and meeting with teams from each, we selected Abbott Construction as the General Contractor. Abbott is already underway with meetings with Spectrum and Richard Glassman with M/G Architecture PLLC, the architect, to explore design concepts. We expect to transition from concepts to actual design by late summer which will give us something to look at. At that time, we will host a community forum to share where we are in the process.

Yours,

Walter Stuteville & Re Knack
Co-Chairs, Living Stones II Design Committee

A Message from the Living Stones II Design Committee

Dear Members and Friends of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Parish:

The members of the Design Committee for Living Stones II want to introduce ourselves to you and provide an update.

Committee members are:
Walter Stuteville, Past Senior Warden and Committee Co-chair
Re Knack, Cathedral Chancellor and Co-chair
Mark Kuiper, Parishioner
Jason Anderson, Compline Choir Director
Marc Aubertin, Cathedral Subdean
The Rev. Canon Emily Griffin, Canon Vicar
Greg Hamm, Immediate Past Senior Warden
Michael Kleinschmidt, Canon for Cathedral Music
Julia Logan, Senior Warden
The Very Rev. Steven Thomason, Dean and Rector

To date, we have held two meetings. On February 5 we interviewed two companies who expressed interest in serving as the Owner’s Representative for this project and selected Spectrum, who was the Owner’s Representative for Living Stones I and came highly recommended by the previous Design Committee.

We met on February 19 with Jake McKinstry and Eric Cho of Spectrum. We shared our hopes and expectations for the project and with that, developed a sense of momentum and anticipation for what will be accomplished. This included the importance of meeting our pledge to have net carbon zero emissions on campus by 2030 and to improve accessibility within the building.

Jake McKinstry

Eric Cho

This Spring, we plan to host meetings/forums to update the congregation and community on our progress and any challenges we encounter as construction plans are developed and finalized.

Re Knack & Walter Stuteville
Co-Chairs, Living Stones II Design Committee

A Message from Dean Thomason: Update on Living Stones II Campaign and Construction Planning

Dear friends,

To date, we have received 516 pledges of support for the Living Stones II capital campaign totaling $8,480,721. We continue to invite those who have not yet pledged to do so, and we have also expanded the circle to include members and churches of the diocese, and the broader community. We have also applied for grants from several foundations, and we’ve received grants from public utilities for the carbon reduction work in the project. To date, more than half of the pledge total has been paid, which means the vestry has created a timeline for the construction project. It is in three parts:

1. The HVAC retrofit for Cathedral House and Bloedel Hall is scheduled for May-August 2026.
2. The main project, involving the nave and narthex updates, electrical and HVAC upgrades for the cathedral, is set for summer 2027. Preconstruction planning has begun, and the co-chairs of the Design Committee (Re Knack and Walter Stuteville) will share more details about that work very soon.
3. The Renaissance organ project will come in 2028, but the structural work to support it will be integrated into the 2027 project.

This is all very exciting and only possible through the generosity of so many. I am grateful for this community and for the ways we are stewarding the cathedral to serve as a beacon of hope for generations to come. Visit the Saint Mark’s website for more information on the campaign. I am,

Your sibling in Christ,

The Very Reverend Steven L.
ThomasonDean and Rector

A Message from Dean Thomason: Living Stones II Campaign Celebration Sunday, June 22

Dear friends,

The response has been overwhelming; the generosity of support is awe-inspiring! More than 350 pledges have been received thus far, and this Sunday we will mark the moment with Celebration Sunday, giving thanks for all who have made their pledges thus far to the Living Stones II Capital Campaign. The names of those who have pledged through Thursday, June 19, will be included in the service leaflets as part of that celebration. (Note: those who requested their names be withheld from public disclosure will be identified as a group simply as “anonymous”).

The Living Stones II campaign continues after this Sunday, transitioning to a two-pronged effort: 1) a Continuation Phase for the cathedral parish in which we will reach out to those who have not yet pledged, asking them to join the effort, and 2) expanding the appeal to the diocese and broader community. Saint Mark’s serves as a resource to so many across western Washington, and we will invite them to consider supporting the work at hand, ensuring the cathedral will continue to serve faithfully as a beacon of hope for generations to come.

If you have not yet made your pledge, please consider doing so today. It’s not too late. For more information, click here, and to make a pledge using the online form, click here. You can also contact Erik Donner in the church office, if you prefer (206.323.0300 ext. 217 or edonner@saintmarks.org).

Thank you for your presence in this cathedral community and for your faithful generosity in this Living Stones II Capital Campaign. I am,

Yours, in Christ,

The Very Reverend Steven L.Thomason
Dean and Rector

A Message from Dean Thomason: Living Stones II Capital Campaign Ingathering Update

Dear friends,

After a delightful parish banquet last Friday in which nearly 400 gathered in a transformed cathedral nave for dinner, fellowship, and fun, last Sunday’s Pledge Ingathering on the Feast of Pentecost offered occasion for us to all lend our support for the campaign, and to ask God’s blessings on the community’s efforts. The response thus far has been overwhelming. As of today, we have received 330 pledges to the Living Stones II campaign totaling $7,101,578! That’s 79% toward our goal of $9 million. Thank you to all who have so generously supported the cathedral in this campaign. I am deeply moved by your generosity and by the delightful spirit moving in our midst.

We invite everyone who counts Saint Mark’s as a place of spiritual connection to make your pledge of support to the campaign so that this cathedral can continue its mission for generations to come. If you have not yet made your commitment to the campaign, it is not too late. For more information, click here, and to make a pledge using the online form, click here. You can also contact Erik Donner in the church office if you prefer (206.323.0300 ext 217 or edonner@saintmarks.org).

On Sunday June 22, we will observe Celebration Sunday—an opportunity to recognize all who have given in support of the campaign. I hope you will be a part of that. Please submit your pledge no later than Friday, June 19, so your gift can be included on Celebration Sunday, June 22. After that date, we will reach out to contact those from whom we’ve not yet heard, inviting them to join the effort. Every gift matters, no matter how large or small.

More information about the Living Stones II campaign, a link the campaign video, and information about the prospective capital projects to be funded by the campaign can be found on the Living Stones II webpage. Please let me know if you have any questions.

For this cathedral community, and for your generosity and faithful presence in support of the cathedral’s mission, I am exceedingly grateful.

Yours, in Christ,

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector

A Message from Dean Thomason: Living Stones II—Pledge Ingathering This Sunday

Dear friends,

This Sunday, June 8, the Feast of Pentecost, is our Pledge Ingathering for the Living Stones II capital campaign. We are asking that everyone who has some spiritual connection to Saint Mark’s Cathedral make a pledge of support to ensure this cathedral will continue to serve as a beacon of hope for generations to come. Please bring your pledge card to worship this Sunday. (We will have extra pledge cards available Sunday if you need one.) We will present all the pledges at the altar and bless them, as we ask God to bless us in our mission in this place, in this time.

The focus of the work to be funded by this campaign is described on the Living Stones II webpage and in the campaign video. There is also a link on the webpage to submit your pledge online, if you prefer.

The Church is needed in times such as this! Your presence in this community and your support of this campaign are critical to ensuring the cathedral’s mission continues. I hope you’ll be one of the Living Stones in this place, and I am very grateful to be on this journey with YOU!

Yours, in Christ,

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector

Home Gatherings Wrap-up and Looking Ahead

The Home Gatherings for the Living Stones II—Building a Sound Future Capital Campaign have now concluded, and over 250 people participated in one of the 24 separate events—held in homes and other venues across the greater Seattle area—to connect, learn about the campaign, and share their thoughts.

One of the highlights of the gatherings was the presentation of the campaign video, created by parishioner and filmmaker David Wild. If you’ve not seen this informative video, please check it out above or at this link. Many folks at the Gatherings had questions about the proposed Renaissance-style organ which has been offered as a gift from organ builder Paul Fritts, to be installed adjacent to the mighty Flentrop in Compline Corner. To address these questions, David Wild also collaborated with Canon Michael Kleinschmidt on another video titled What Will It Sound Like? Check out that video here!

Looking Ahead:

On Saturday, May 10, drop in to the cathedral any time between 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. for a Day of Prayer and Spiritual Practices, featuring invitations to a variety of collective and individual ways to pray, with opportunities for all ages—including body prayers, praying with beads, chanting the psalms, centering prayer, and more. This is a chance to pray for the cathedral parish and the intentions of this community, and to grow in faith through practices that may be new to you. A special highlight will be an intimate service of Evensong led by members of the Schola (youth choir), and the day will conclude with Compline led by members of the Compline Choir at 9 p.m.

The following weekend, any Saint Mark’s members who would like to attend the Advance Commitments Gathering on Saturday, May 17, at 4 p.m. in Bloedel Hall, are cordially invited to do so. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and a presentation, and at the conclusion of the evening those present will have the opportunity to be among the first to submit their three-year financial commitment to the campaign. Register to attend this reception by emailing or calling Erik Donner at: edonner@saintmarks.org or 206.323.0300 ext. 217).

On Sunday morning, May 18, at 10:10 a.m., parishioners of all ages are invited to Bloedel Hall, where Canon Emily Griffin will lead a Sunday forum telling the Godly Play Story of The Church, and in response, children are invited to create and build with artist Sandy Nelson. This is an intergenerational opportunity to engage the themes of the Living Stones II Capital Campaign, and the children’s art will be displayed at the All-Parish Banquet.

On Friday, June 6, the entire community is encouraged to come out for the ALL-PARISH BANQUET. This celebration of our vibrant cathedral will be held in the nave, and will include a catered meal, entertainment, and a few surprises!

Finally, on Sunday, June 8, there will be the Ingathering of Financial Commitments, when all the commitments to the campaign will be presented at the altar and blessed. The generosity of the community will be celebrated on this Feast of Pentecost. (This will officially draw to a close public aspects of the “parish phase,” although the Living Stones II Capital Campaign will continue in the Diocese of Olympia, the broader Seattle community, and beyond, through 2028). We are grateful for your participation!

Frequently Asked Questions

Dean Thomason and the Living Stones II leadership team have created an F.A.Q. directly addressing various issues that have been raised at the recent Home Gatherings. You can find it here—and it will continue to be updated as additional issues arise.

Just a few of the questions addressed include:

Q: What happens if we don’t raise all the targeted amounts?
Q: When will construction start? Will services be interrupted during construction?
Q: Will the endowed music salaries be taken out of the annual budget?
Q: Will the pews be replaced?
Q: Will the nave floor include a permanent labyrinth for New Year’s Eve?

…and many more. Find the full F.A.Q. here.

A Message from Saint Mark’s Cathedral: Sign up Now for a Living Stones II Home Gathering

The first home gatherings related to the Living Stones II – Building a Sound Future campaign are just a week away!

Please check your schedules and sign up for ONE of the gatherings listed below. This is a time not only to learn more and ask questions about our plans for carbon reduction and enhancing our worship and welcome; it’s a chance to build community and deepen relationships with others who consider Saint Mark’s their spiritual home.

A complete list of gatherings is below. Whether they’re held at parishioners’ homes or our spiritual home here at Saint Mark’s, these gatherings from mid-March to mid-April offer a chance to deepen relationships and reflect together on the campaign’s goals:

1. Meeting Saint Mark’s commitment to become net carbon zero by 2030 through replacing extremely outdated and inefficient heating and cooling systems
2. Enhancing the cathedral’s welcome and worship experience through a new radiant-heated slate floor in the nave and renovated narthex and restrooms
3. Making lasting investments in music at Saint Mark’s through endowments for music ministries and funding the installation of a custom Renaissance organ donated by its builder

Each session will be about 90 minutes; there will be light refreshments and ample time for questions. No financial commitments will be asked for or received.

Exact addresses and other follow-up information will be sent as the date of each event approaches.

If you prefer an event to which you could bring your children, please contact Canon Wendy Barrie at wbarrie@saintmarks.org.

Other questions about signing up? Contact Deborah Person at deborah.person@gmail.com, call Canon Barrie at 206-323-0300 x253, or stop by a table in the nave after the 9 or 11 a.m. Sunday services on March 9 or 16.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 7–8:30 P.M.
Queen Anne
Gerard & Nancy van Wesep

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2–3:30 P.M.*
Skyline Retirement Community
Walter Stuteville/Janet Miller

THURSDAY, MARCH 13. 7–8:30 P.M.
Capitol Hill
Kathy & Rob Thompson

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 7–8:30 P.M.
West Seattle
Alison Estep

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 10:30 A.M.–12 P.M.*
on the Saint Mark’s Cathedral campus
Barbara Erickson/Julia Logan

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 4:30–6 P.M.
West Seattle
Greg Hamm & Beatrix Roemheld-Hamm

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2–3:30 P.M.
Bainbridge Island
John Simmons & Scott Hulet

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2–3:30 P.M.
Lynnwood
Rebekah Gilmore & Tyler Morse

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 4–5:30 P.M.
Capitol Hill
Steve & Kathy Thomason

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 10:30 A.M.–12 P.M.*
on the Saint Mark’s Cathedral campus
Quilting Ministry/Sandy Piscitello

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 6–7.30 P.M.
West Seattle
Martha Craig

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 6:30–8 P.M.
Greenlake
Michael Kleinschmidt & Marc Aubertin

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 10:30 A.M.–12 P.M.
Magnolia
Carolyn White/Nancy Cleminshaw

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 12:30–2 P.M.*
on the Saint Mark’s Cathedral campus
20s/30s Group

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 3:30–5 P.M.*
Horizon House Retirement Community
Ruth Mulligan/Sue Jones/Sue Mitchell

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2.30–4 P.M.*
Mirabella Retirement Community
Carolyn Blount

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2–3.30 P.M.
Capitol Hill
Mark & Kelly Lundquist

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2–3.30 P.M.
Eastside/Clyde Hill
Christopher Breunig

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2–3.30 P.M.
Capitol Hill
Maria & Charles Coldwell

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 6–7.30 P.M.
Redmond
Elizabeth & Angus Antley

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 6–7.30 P.M.
Ballard
David Wild & Lulu Gargiulo

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1:30–3 P.M.
Sammamish/Issaquah
Mary & Mel Butler

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2:30–4 P.M.
West Seattle
Alexandra Thompson

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 5:30–7 P.M.
Capitol Hill
Randy Urmston & Eliza Davidson

SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 3–4:30 P.M.
Maple Leaf/N.E. Seattle
Carmen & Matt Brady

* Indicates confirmed wheelchair accessible

Dr. Jason Anderson

Dear Friends,

Compline at Saint Mark’s has been a treasure of inestimable value to countless people—at Saint Mark’s, in Seattle, and around the world—for almost 70 years. Leading an institution with this depth of history requires taking a long view, and leaving the Director of Compline Choir uncompensated, as has been the case for almost all of this history, is not sustainable. An endowment for this position will make it possible to hand off this role to a successor, when that time comes, and allow the Compline Choir to endure into the future.

Dr. Jason Anderson
II Director of the Compline Choir

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason

Dear Friends,

When I travel to meetings across the Episcopal Church, I am consistently greeted with comments about Saint Mark’s Cathedral and its reputation for great music, sound worship in a unique building, and a strong commitment to social justice. I receive such comments with pride and gratitude for the privilege of serving here.

When I engage people across our city and tell them I work at Saint Mark’s, they frequently make the connection with comments acknowledging “that great church you can see from the freeway,” and “the place with the Compline service and Cathedral Yoga.” It is clear that Saint Mark’s Cathedral enjoys a distinct familiarity, and a vast number of people have a real connection with the place. Tens of thousands cross the cathedral’s threshold every year, and countless more join via livestreamed services, hybrid forums and concerts, and podcasts.

Much has been written about the confluence of meaning gained when people, place, and purpose synchronize in mission. Few communities enjoy such a tangible connection as Saint Mark’s. We are a people, called by God to be together; we are a place, a Holy Box on the hill; and we have a purpose here—to serve as a locus of ministry and hope in and to the world. People… Place… Purpose—that is what this capital campaign is really about.
Yes, we are working to preserve and improve a building that is known worldwide for the ministries that flourish here so that generations to come may claim this as their spiritual home.

Yes, we are working to build a sound future for ministries to thrive in this place, so that the people in this cathedral community may continue serving others in the world in Christ’s name.

Yes, we are working to build on the mission to which God is calling us. People… Place… Purpose.

I bid your prayers and participation as we engage this work together, knowing that we serve as stewards of the cathedral at a remarkable time in the history of humanity, and in the history of Saint Mark’s Cathedral. I am grateful for your presence, for the privilege to serve with you, and for God’s blessings that abound in our lives.

Yours faithfully,

The Very Reverend
Steven L. Thomason
Dean & Rector

Randy Urmston & Eliza Davidson

Dear Friends

Like you, we love Saint Mark’s Cathedral. We love the fellowship. We love the liturgy and music. We love the encouragement to integrate justice into our lives. We love the cathedral’s mission, vision, and guiding principles. And we love our cathedral building, the Holy Box.

Living Stones II: Building a Sound Future expresses that we love the Holy Box not only in itself, but as one of the essential tools for building a strong cathedral community in service to each other, to the broader community, and to God.

Specifically, the campaign aims to 1. meet our Creation Care commitment that the cathedral campus become net carbon-zero by 2030, through replacing extremely outdated and inefficient heating and cooling systems, 2. enhance the cathedral’s welcome and worship experience through a new radiant-heated slate floor in the nave and renovated narthex and restrooms, and 3. make lasting investments in music at Saint Mark’s through endowments for music ministries and funding the installation of a custom Renaissance organ donated by its builder.

We have been tremendously blessed by all before us who invested in our beloved cathedral. Now it’s our turn. These are exciting times and we hope you will join us!

Eliza Davidson & Randy Urmston
Campaign Co-chairs

Michael Kleinschmidt

Dear Friends,

For centuries, the Church has sustained the practice of fine arts and crafts, just as fine arts and crafts have for centuries helped to sustain the Church. Saint Mark’s is a global convergence point among churches that possess a spacious acoustical environment and a heritage of precious expertise that is constantly being made new: the practices of singing Compline, training children to lead liturgical music-making, and building exquisite pipe organs.

This is why organ builder Paul Fritts has invited Saint Mark’s to receive the gift of a new instrument built in late-Renaissance style. Paul is in the vanguard of pipe organ craftspeople worldwide. The Renaissance-style organ will contribute to the worship life of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, alongside the famous Flentrop organ, for decades to come.

Secondly, to endow the position of Canon for Cathedral Music is to ensure the continuation of Saint Mark’s musical ministries, no matter what the future holds. This would be part of this generation’s lasting legacy for those who come after us in this place.

Michael Kleinschmidt
Canon for Cathedral Music